UTM Parameters Explained Without the Jargon
Understand what UTM parameters do, which ones matter, and how to keep campaign tracking clean.
Table of contents
UTM parameters are small labels added to a URL so analytics tools can tell where a visit came from and which campaign produced it.
The three parameters that matter most
For most campaigns, focus on these:
- utm_source identifies the platform or source, such as google or newsletter.
- utm_medium identifies the channel type, such as cpc or email.
- utm_campaign identifies the specific campaign, such as summer-sale.
Keep naming consistent
Choose lowercase names and use the same naming convention every time. facebook, Facebook, and fb can become three separate sources in reports even though they mean the same thing.
Build your URL
You can use the TrafficCampaign UTM Builder to create a properly tagged URL without manually editing query strings.
What not to tag
Do not add UTMs to internal links on your own website. They can overwrite useful acquisition information and make attribution harder to understand.